Automatic train-pipe coupling.



W. CLMILLER.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN PIPE COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED MAR 4. 1915.

Patented June 22, 1915.

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AUTOMATIC TRAIN PIPE COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 4. 1915.

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Patented J 11110 22, 1915.

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and useful Improvement in UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM C. MILLER; OF MORE'IOWN, VERMONT.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, vWILLI M C. MILLER, acitizen of. thedfnited States, residing. at Moretown, county ofVashington, and State of Vermont, have invented a certain new AutomaticTrain-Pipe Couplers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to automatic coupling and uncoupling means fortrain pipjes both airand steam, or air alone, as desirable and itis tobe applied either to railway cars or to. other railwayrehicles.

The invention is for the purpose of meetin'g. the conditions set forthin the acts of Congress which require railroads to be equippedwithautomatic couplers so constructed that the coupling and uncouplingcan beeffected without requiring employees to go between and below the carsfor this purpose. It is also designed to meet the further requirementsof the law, that freight cars shallbe equipped with power brakesoperated from the engine to be effective".

upon each car of the train.

The invention embodies a novel arrange ment of pa 'ts for quickly andsecurely coupling the train pipes together when the cars are coupled,and for automatically-releasing the said; train pipe coupling means whenthe cars are uncoupledand move away one from the other.

\Vhen my invention is to be applied to passenger cars, the train pipecoupler is provided with connections for both the train air pipes andthetrain steam pipesg-an l when the invention is applied to freight cars,only train air pipe connections are provided." It is also obvious that.'pi-pes when required foruse in operating the signals or other-similardevices, may also be applied to m v-"t rain'p'ipe coupler. In eithercase, my

. inveijition in'i'ts oroad asoject is not changed.

The invention consists in the combination and arrangen -ut of partshereinafter described and c pied; 5, q

1 Referring to' the drawings .whi ch form a partof this specification;Figure 1. is a side view ii1 'co "ed position of my invention shownother. fixed parts being s'hown in section. the

coupling ineans jieing showniin elevations;

tio n sbiolzer awaygz so as to more readfi y Specification ofLetters'latent.

slide in a bracket 5.

air-plied" to the ends of contiguous railway cars, parts of the carstructures and AUTOMATIC TRAIN-PIPE COUPLING.

Patented June 22, 1915.

Application filed March 4, 1915. -Serial No. 11,960.

view; Fig. 4. is a sectional view taken on line of Fig. 3; Fig. 5. is asectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 1; Fig. 6. is a sectional viewof a detail.

In the drawings, refer to like parts in the several views.

A represents in section the conventional structure of the platform atthe end of one car and B is a similar view of the end of the platform ofa contiguous car.

C is the entire car coupling mechanism, the operative parts of whichnecessary to disclose the construction and operation of my invention,will be hereinafter described, and D is the train pipe coupler whichembodies my invention.

.A coupler head 1 constructed in the desired form is provided with aprojecting shank 2. the free end of which is pivoted by a bolt 3 to a Ushaped yoke 4 mounted to The shank 2 also is mounted to slide in abracket 6 which is se cured to the beam 7 of'the car platform. Thebracket 5 is secured by bolts or other suitable means to the undersideof the our platform, and in the sides 9 of which are formed slots orgrooves 8. Cross bars 10 and 11 are so fitted in the bracket 5 thattheir ends rest in and slide within the slots or grooves S. The bufferspring 13 is'placcd between the bars 10 and. 11 which acts as a bufferwhen the cars are coupled and which operates to move the coupler head 1in the direction of the arrowwhcnthe cars are uncoupled and when theymove away from v.uil duplicate of I c: .c1r=orner..am l the con-traction:is applied to 'cacir car spi-t-iliiazlly" dcsi'i eit, using cert"; 1'1,l't-rcnce numerals like reference characters to refer to'parts of thecoupler secured to one car and the same reference numerals primed torefer to like parts of the coiiperating coupler upon the adjacent car.

Brackets and 20 are rigidly secured to the under-si de respectively ofthe cars A and ii and are provided with ways 21 and 21',

M) are hood shaped devices, the outer ends of which are expanded intofunnel shaped i'ianges 39 and and the inner ends 31 and 31 are tubularin shape and form pockets the reception of the inner ends 23 and no ofthe coupling heads. The inner end of the tubular portions 31 and 31' areconstructed with perpendicular edges 33 and 33'. Spring latches 34 and34 areflcured by screws or in any other suitable manner,

2,;at their inner ends, to the innermost ends of the bars 23 and 23.

At the outer end of the spring latches are enlarged heads 35. and 35which are provided with inclined or cam surfaces 36 and 36' which arejoined to the sprin shank by perpendicular edges or notches 3 and 37.Pivoted to the bars 23 and 23 are a series of levers 40, 41 and 40' 41,the upper levers 40 and 40 being secured midway ofthe lever 41 and 41 bypivotal connecting rods 42 and 42'. Springs 43 and 43 are secured to thelevcrs'41 and 41 and to fixed lugs 44 and 44 extending from the bars 23,sfi'd 23. Guide brackets 45 and 45 are seured to the bars 23 and 23 tohold the levers 40 and 40 in place and to guide the same when operated.In each coupler head are secured pipes and 50 for the passage of air andpipes 51 and 51 for the passage of steam. These pipes are provided withunions as shown by means of which they may be connected together andextended inany desired direction. Secured to the ends of the pipes 50and 50' and 51 and 51' are rubber or flexible pipes of any approvedconstruction indicated at 52 and 52. In the faces of the coupler headssurronnding the contiguous openings *fbr the air and steam pipes arerubber gaskets 53 and 54, to insure the steam and air openings having atight fit at the meeting joints.

Suitable valves are placed in the various pipes at any approved positionin order to control the delivery asdesired.

of the operating fluids The operation of my invention will now bedescribed. "When the parts are all in the positions shown in Fig. 1. thecars are coupled together and the train pipes arealso coupled together.On the uncoupling of contiguous cars, the strain will be released fromthe coupler heads 1 and 1 and thesprings 13 and 13 will operate to movetherespective coupling heads in the direction; of the arrows, therebymoving the bars or lugs 15 and 15 also in the direction of the arrows,thus causing them to strike against the upper and free ends of thelevers 41 and 41 thereby moving them about their pivots in the generaldirection of the arrows. lVhen the levers are so moved the connectingrods 42 and 42 pull the free ends of the levers 40 and 40' in a similardirection thereby causing them to wipe over the inclined surfaces 36 and36' of the enlarged heads 35 and 35' of the spring latches 34 and 34,thereby releasing the latches from the free ends of the parts formingthe pockets 31 and 31. When the latches are released, the shanks 23 and23are free to move away from each other upon the separation of thecontiguous cars. When it is desired to couple two cars together and thatoperation is done in the usual way, the respective ends of the shanks 23and 23' enter respectively the flanged funnels and through the pocketsas shown, the bufling strains being taken up by the springs 26 and 26.The shanks or bars 23 and 23' enter through the funnels and pockets asufficient distance to enable the heads of the latches 24 and 24 toco-act. and assume alatching position against the inner edges of thetubular portions 31 and 31' which form the pockets. The parts are soadjusted that when this occurs, the steam and air openings or ports meetin proper positions, so that the respec tive fluids may pass from car tocar as desired.

My device is made of suitable metal to 7 meet the conditions of the lawsand the rules governing railroad equipment constructions.

While I have shown certain features of my invention in the accompanyingdrawings, it is to be understood that said drawings are merelyillustrative, and that I am not confined t( what is there shown andherein described in connection therewith, except as may be specificallyset forth in the a claims.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:-

1. A train-pipe coupler head having a plurality of fluid ports therein,means to latch the same to a counterrpart coupler head, also havingfluid ports therein, the fluid ports of one head co-acting with theports of the other head and means independent ofthead to unlatch thecoupler heads upon the uncoupling of the cars.

2. A train-pipe coupler head havin a fluid port in its face, a conduitexten ing' from the ports through the head thereof, a latch for lockingone coupler head to another, spring controlled means mounted upon thecar independent of and separate from the train pipe coupler headoperable upon the uncoupling of the car coupler to release the latchwhich holds the train-pipe coupler heads together,

3. A train-pipe coupler head having a funnel shaped flange thereupon toreceive the adjacent coupler head and in which it is inserted, anextension from the flange forming a pocket for the adjacent couplerhead, a latch on one coupler head engaging the vpocket, an springactuated means constructed to ave a movement independent of the movementof the car and independent of the movement of the train pipe couplerhead operable u on the uncoupling of the car to 26 release the tch.

4. A train-pipe coupler head, means for latching the same to acounter-part couplerhead and spring means operable independently of thetrain pipe coupler head upon the unlatching of the coupler-head torelease the latch.

5. In a device of the class described, a train pipe coupler head, meansfor latchin the same to a counter part coupler hea means mounted uponthe train pipe coupler head to unlatch the latch, means independent ofthe train pipe coupler head mounted to have a. reciprocatory movementwith respect thereto arranged to operate the unlatching means duringsaid independent reciprocatory movement.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand at Moretown, county ofWashington and State of Vermont, this 26th day of February, 1915.

WILLIAM C. MILLER.

In presence of- HERBERT G. WARD, C. W. WARD.

